Jim and Rick's mutual friend, Robert Dreyfuss, had begun a hitchhiking trip in Europe overland to India before the cancellation, and had continued on his journey to India unaware of the cancellation of the sahavas. In November of 1965, McGrew and Chapman received word that Dreyfuss had met Baba in Meherazad.
The news that Robert Dreyfuss had met Baba inspired Jim, too, to find a way to see Baba, but he did not know how to go about doing so. He wrote to Sufism Reoriented in San Francisco and also to Don Stevens. Kari Harb of Sufism replied that he should contact Baba's secretary, Adi K. Irani, and to request his help in meeting Baba, explaining why and for how long he would be in India.
The Peace Corps assigned Jim to work as a volunteer for a Primary Health Center in Kalghatgi, Mysore State (now called Karnataka). In January 1966, Jim wrote to Adi. Adi replied that his letter had been read to Baba in his seclusion, and that Baba wanted Jim to write again on 10 February. He followed Baba's instructions, posting his request on the date specified by Baba. In his letter, Jim also asked if a Diana Grace, a nurse in the Peace Corps with whom he was romantically involved, might also accompany him to see Baba, since Diana had expressed an interest in meeting Baba.
Baba replied through Adi that he would be pleased to see Jim when he was in Guruprasad. Baba also gave permission for Diana Grace to come. April 15 was the date that fit Jim McGrew's schedule, and he wrote to Baba to inform him of that fact, as Baba had instructed. (He also informed Baba that Diana had decided not to come for the interview, perhaps thinking that she was not yet deeply enough committed to Baba.)
Jim McGrew arrived in Poona from Bombay in the late afternoon of 14 April 1966. He was intensely happy and thrilled at the prospect of seeing the Master. He wished to give his life to Baba, and secretly hoped that he could stay with Baba, or at least that he would be invited to return to see Baba again. He checked into a hotel and requested to be awakened at 5:30 A.M. Adi's letters had stressed the importance of being punctual, and Jim was worried he might oversleep and miss the most precious appointment of his life.